Connecticut College Digital Commons @ Connecticut College Environmental Studies Honors Papers Environmental Studies 1-1-2013 Concept and Technique: How Traditional Japanese Architecture can contribute to Contemporary Sustainable Design Practices Courtney Angen Connecticut College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/envirohp Recommended Citation Angen, Courtney, "Concept and Technique: How Traditional Japanese Architecture can contribute to Contemporary Sustainable Design Practices" (2013). Environmental Studies Honors Papers. Paper 10. http://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/envirohp/10 This Honors Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the Environmental Studies at Digital Commons @ Connecticut College. It has been accepted for inclusion in Environmental Studies Honors Papers by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Connecticut College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the author. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Concept(and(Technique:( How(Traditional(Japanese(Architecture(can(contribute(to(Contemporary( Sustainable(Design(Practices( ( Courtney!Angen! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Connecticut!College! Department!of!Environmental!Studies! ! In!Collaboration!with:! Department!of!Architectural!Studies! Department!of!East!Asian!Studies! ! Fall!2012B!Spring!2013! Table&of&Contents& & ! Introduction& ! 1! & ! ! & Chapter&1:! ! ! !Defining!Sustainability!! ! Introduction! ! 6! ! Section&1:! ! 7! Site!Issues! ! Section&2:! ! 11! Material!Selection!and! Construction!Methods! ! Section&3:! ! 18! A!Building’s!Longevity! ! Section&4:! ! 27! LongBTerm!Performance! ! Section&5:& ! 32! Hindsight!! ! Conclusion& ! 35! ! & ! ! & Chapter&2:! ! ! The!Sustainability!of!Traditional!Japanese! Architecture! ! Introduction! ! 37! ! Section&1:! ! 38! Natural!Light! ! Section&2:! ! 45! Nature!and!Gardens& ! Section&3:! ! 55! Natural!Ventilation&! ! Section&4:! ! 61! Flexible!Space! ! Section&5:! ! 68! Material!Selection! ! Conclusion! ! 73! ! & ! ! & Chapter&3:& ! ! Learning!from!the!Past:!Allowing! Traditional!Architecture!to!Inform! Contemporary!Sustainable!Design! ! Introduction& ! 76! ! Section&1:! ! 77! Modern!Interpretations!! ! Section&2:! ! 91! Conceptually!Incorporating! Traditional!Features!of! Sustainability!! ! Section&3:! ! 97! Establishing!New!and!Inspired! Principles!for!Sustainability!! ! Conclusion& ! 102! ! & ! ! & Conclusion& ! 104! & ! ! Appendix& ! i! References& ! iii! ! INTRODUCTION" " " " " In"recent"years"“sustainability”"has"become"a"more"widely"discussed"topic" among"societies"seeking"to"lessen"the"detrimental"effects"that"wasteful"consumption" has"had"on"the"environment."This"increased"acknowledgement"may"have"resulted" from"the"“newfound”"understanding"of"the"importance"ecosystems"hold"in"the" balance"of"the"environment;"yet"it"may"also"simply"be"out"of"fear"of"what"the"future" may"bring"in"terms"of"global"climate"change."Contemporary"societies"have" inherently"become"increasingly"detached"from"nature"in"a"way"that"is"harmful"to" both"the"environment"and"people."In"general,"this"disconnect"has"mostly"developed" from"our"own"desire"to"advance"our"ways"of"life."People"design"and"adapt"structures" and"technologies"to"cope"with"natural"forces"beyond"our"control"as"a"means"of" gaining"some"power"over"them."This"power,"in"turn,"allows"for"a"creation"of"a"sense" of"both"physical"and"emotional"comfort,"from"which"people"feel"protected"and" happy."" Increasingly,"people"have"generally"come"to"understand"how"manGmade" features"have"the"capability"to"negatively"affect"the"immediate"environment,"and" there"has"developed"a"general"desire"to"improve."As"a"result,"an"acknowledgement" of"the"importance"of"sustainability"has"emerged,"and"one"major"way"in"which"people" have"sought"to"improve"the"sustainability"of"our"lifestyles"is"through"the"most"basic" of"technologies:"shelter."Architecture"provides"an"opportunity"to"reconnect"our" lifestyles"to"the"natural"environment"in"a"way"that"positively"affects"our"daily"lives." Even"in"searching"for"a"solution,"our"contemporary"societies"have"a"tendency"to" 1" create"new"ways"to"reconnect"architecture"to"the"environment"in"a"sustainable" manner."Although"this"method"is"a"viable"approach,"it"is"important"to"recognize"that" solutions"are"not"always"found"in"something"new."Human"history"offers"centuries"of" case"studies"for"our"benefit,"but"generally"there"is"a"propensity"to"overlook" important"traditional"building"methods,"even"though"they"have"influenced"what"the" global"society"has"developed"into."As"a"result,"people"realize"later"than"we"should" that"something"essential"has"been"lost"or"forgotten."" The"past"is"a"significant"part"of"what"has"made"the"present"what"it"is,"and," subsequently,"what"will"become"of"the"future."Therefore,"examining"how"traditional" cultures"interacted"with"their"respective"environments"in"the"past"can"be"the"most" beneficial"stage"of"creating"new,"sustainable"architecture,"accepting"that"this"“new”" technology"can"be"inspired"by"the"past."This"is"why"vernacular"architecture"is"so" relevant"when"it"comes"to"redesigning"our"methods"of"sustainability;"where"we"seek" to"reconnect"to"nature,"past"techniques"were"based"on"a"strong"link"with"the"natural" environment."Therefore,"traditional"architecture"provides"valuable"insight"into"what" works"and"what"may"not"in"terms"of"sustainability."Yet"not"all"vernacular"designs" are"created"equal;"after"all,"natural"environments"differ"depending"on"location." There"are"certain"traditional"designs"that"demonstrate"unique"connections,"which" maintain"the"potential"to"inform"contemporary"architectural"techniques."Traditional" Japanese"architecture"is"one"such"example,"as"in"the"centuries"of"adapting"building" methods"to"improve"the"quality"of"living"for"the"occupants,"Japanese"builders" created"numerous"sustainable"design"techniques."" 2" As"a"country"that"experiences"a"wide"range"of"natural"disasters,"Japan"has" encountered"countless"examples"of"the"power"and"uncontrollable"aspects"of"nature." The"dangerous"and"unpredictable"features"of"the"environment"are"perhaps"why" Japanese"architects"have"long"since"acknowledged"the"importance"of"naturally" occurring"features,"such"as"wind,"sun,"water,"and"materials."This"recognition"was" then"incorporated"into"building"designs"as"a"means"of"using"nature"to"the"occupants’" advantage"rather"than"simply"as"something"beyond"their"control."According"to"Eiji" Maki,"author"of"Sustainable1Architecture1in1Japan:" " …[Japanese]1architecture1avoids1artificial1uniformity,1creating1instead1 attractive1and1heterogeneous1interior1spaces1and1harmonious1special1 relationships.1These1structures1were1designed1to1last1and1were1built1from1 renewable,1locally1available1materials.1We1aim1to1learn1the1lessons1offered1by1 these1superbly1functional1traditional1buildings1and1apply1them1in1our1own1 green1designs.1(Maki122)1 1 Although"certain"aspects"of"Japanese"traditional"architectural"design"were"merely" results"of"available"materials"and"immediate"environment,"the"architecture" continues"to"represent"one"of"the"most"extensive"forms"of"living"sustainably."1 The"title"of"“traditional”"or"“vernacular”"does"not"determine"whether"or"not"a" design"concept"is"sustainable"such"that"it"can"be"incorporated"directly"into" contemporary"lifestyles."Adaptability"is"key;"features"of"vernacular"architecture"may" not"be"appropriate"for"contemporary"societies,"but"the"concepts"embodied"in"these" 3" features"can"lend"to"the"generation"of"usable"criteria"for"sustainability."Vernacular" American"architecture"does"not"inform"sustainability"to"the"level"of"traditional" Japanese"structures;"this"is"due"to"its"limited"history,"which"has"left"American" vernacular"design"little"time"to"evolve"before"modernity"allowed"for"the"taming"of" the"natural"elements"through"technology."Traditional"Japanese"architecture" provides"a"valuable"template"of"sustainable"methods"that"are"not"only"aesthetically" pleasing"but"also"feel"both"emotionally"and"physically"comfortable,"even"in" contemporary"society."As"architecture"(and"the"core"concept"of"shelter)"is"a" keystone"of"modern"lifestyles,"it"is"an"ideal"method"of"achieving"an"improvement"of" sustainability"in"terms"of"the"global"society"as"a"whole."Therefore,"it"is"important"to" examine"traditional"Japanese"architecture"in"order"to"improve"contemporary" sustainability"and,"subsequently,"create"a"style"that"is"not"necessarily"either" historical"or"new,"but"is"inspired"by"the"past"and,"thereby,"improved."" In"order"to"truly"understand"how"vernacular"design"can"inform"contemporary" architecture,"it"is"essential"to"bring"concrete"meaning"to"the"term"“sustainability.”"As" a"fairly"new"concept,"sustainability"encompasses"a"variety"of"meanings"and" connotations,"but"there"is"only"one"purpose:"to"lesson"the"detrimental"effects"of"our" societies"on"the"environment."Therefore,"chapter"one"will"discuss"and"develop"a" definition"for"the"broad"concept"of"sustainability."This"development"is"essential"to" understanding"how"such"vernacular"designs"as"traditional"Japanese"architecture"can" lend"knowledge"and"methods"to"improving"contemporary"architecture."After"a" workable"definition"of"sustainable"architecture"is"established,"in"chapter"two"an" exploration"of"aspects"of"Japanese"design"that"maintain"sustainable"characteristics" 4" will"begin."We"will"analyze"how"these"particular"elements"of"this"building"tradition" may"inform"sustainability"in"a"contemporary"sense."Finally,"chapter"three"will"